Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-05-09
LETTER FROM RICHMOND.

RICHMOND. Va, May s, 1SS7.-Mr. Bow
erie, who cArae over as private secretary oil
Sir Edward Thornton, yesterday settled up
with the proprietor OF the Exchange hotel
for accommodations up TO date. Mr..
Bouverie has been attending to the disburse'
ment fund which the Foreign Commission
have at their disposal ard yesterday when
he walked up TO the clerks office and asked
for the bill if was handed TO him. He eyed
il closely and then with his peculiar Eng
lish accent exclaimed: Don't you know"
-pausing awhile be continued, But it ls a
small matter; yes, Il small matter. But
don't you know twenty-five cents Is hlgh
price for BATH" Col. Darlington differed
with, aud told him it was twenty-five cheap
er than the New York price.
The bill to appropriate S72 600 for wound
ed and disabled soldiers vii; be passed ID
the House this week There Is unanlmlly
of sentiment in favor OF making liberal
appropriation for the needy ex-Confederstes
and there is also unanimity of sentiment
against paying out money 10 -Confeder.
ate soldiers who are able TO take care OF
themselves. have known of instances in
wears past where persons have secured the
$50 pension when they were getting over
81 500 q year. Then, again, have known
of an instance where poor ex.Confederate
who lost both legs at Marietta, Georgia,
while in the service OF the Con(ederacy, and
who has large family in very needy cir
cumsances got only $50 in six years.
Governor Lee has not up to this time We
toed a single measure which the two Houses
have passed. One reason why he has not
found it necessary to use his veto power is
that there are many members of the General
Assembly who keep such sharp lookout
upon legislation that il is a difficult matter
for an obnoxious bill. or q measure that is at
least Objectionable to the people, to get
through the two Houses. 10 several IN
stances measures have passed one branch
only 10 die in the other because some OBJ.
iec:onable feature was found in the bill.
Senator Blackstone, of Accomac county,
who is one OF the two best dressed members
of the Senate, Senator Gordon being the
other. left for home Saturday morning, to
be absent until tomorrow. Senator Black:
stone and Senators Mccormick and Mere
dith are the fastest talking men in the Gen.
eral Assembly. Senator Blackstone, says
| an expert stenographer who has reported
him. can speak two hundred and thirteen
| words minute, and the other two Senators
can almost beat that record. This is very
| rapid talking when it is remembered the
average speaker uses about one hundred
and twenty five words minute.
| The most interesting subject at the Capt..
tol now, which is engaging the attention of
| the Legislature is the debt matter. There ls
| no doubt about it the members of our COM
mission are more sanguine tonight than
| they have been at all. Why this is so / do
not known The cause is not apparent, but
| the effect is plain. Nothing tangible has
| thus far been reached, but sundry PROPOSE
! tons have been discussed at length. Yes
terday evening the two commissions were
not far apart, and our people are earnestly
| hoping that the joint session to be held to.
morrow morning will result in satisfactory
solution Of this much vexed question. 1t is
very evident that the bondholders do not
| like the Riddlegerge: settlement as an en-
| tirety. If they accept the bonds they want
more interest than the commonwealth OF
Virginia can pay, and our committee
hope to convince them tomorrow that any
other settlement than that upon the Riddle
| berger basis, interest aud all, will not meet
with the approval of both political parties.
| The proceedings of the Joint commission
| thus far embrace 29S pages OF type writing.
| If the sessions had heen from ten o'clock
till three, as it was thought they would be,
the commission would have most prodiei-
Gus record to present to the Legislature
AS it is it is quite lengthy, hut still if it is
printed, as it will likely be, every word will
be read by the politicians in order that they
may be posted in the even! tho debt que5-
ton is drawn in as an issue in politics next
| fall
1t is now pretty we'll settled that the
General Assembly will not be here two
weeks longer, unless the republicans insist
upon having the new Code read. Whether
two-thirds can prevent the reading of the
new Code is question which has not yet
been decided. Some pnriamentarians ct
the House say either branch by Il two thirds
vote can do away with the reading OF bill.
1t has been customary, however. in the
| past, to read bill at the demand of one
delegate. Some of the republicans object to
the banking laws in the new Code: